A Film Festival with a difference, as it focuses on the world of Greek Cinema. The festival has been set up by Kiki Konstantinidou and Aleksandra Szymbara. Kiki, originally from Greece, says ‘Currently everyone in Europe talks about Greece in the context of crisis. We want to show that, despite the problems, Greece has a lot to offer, and modern Greek culture and cinema is worth exploring’.

The festival takes place between April 23rd and 26th, and runs in venues such as the Chester Beatty Library, Filmbase and The New Theatre.

The First Dublin Greek Film Festival – April 23rd to 26th – Dublin

The first Dublin Greek Film Festival will take place from Thursday 23 April to Sunday 26 April at Chester Beatty Library, Filmbase and The New Theatre. The Festival will be presenting cinematic visions of Greece past, present and future, by both established and breakthrough artists. The weekend will offer Dublin audiences an unprecedented introduction to the world of Greek cinema, which has been recognised with awards at film festivals around the world.

Dublin Greek Film Festival will kick off with the screening of the award winning road documentary ‘The Grocer’ (Audience Award at Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival in 2013), at Chester Beatty Library on 23 April at 6pm. The movie is an attempt to depict and record a vanishing way of life in the mountains of Northern Greece. The screening will be followed by the Q&A with Dimitris Koutsiabasakos, ‘Boy Eating The Birds Food’ (2012), which tells a story of a 22-year-old boy who lives in Athens during the crisis, is returning to Ireland after its Irish debut at Galway Film Fleadh Festival in 2013, where it won The Best International First Feature Award. The screening, which will take place at Filmbase on April 24 at 7pm, will be preceded by an introduction to the ‘Weird Wave of Greek Cinema’ by film scholar Mikela Fotiou.

On Saturday 25 April Dublin Greek Film Festival invites cinema goers to the screening of the movies ‘Morning Patrol’ (1pm) and ‘Wild Duck’ (3.45pm) at The New Theatre.

Also on Saturday 25 April at midday the Dublin Greek Film Festival and Chester Beatty Library invite people of all ages to a free Greek Traditional Dance Workshop facilitated by dancer Katerini Papathanasiou. During a two hour session people will get a chance to learn basic circle dances from all over Greece and their history.

On Sunday April 26 the Festival day will begin with the screening of the Greek- Cypriot production ‘Fish ‘n Chips’ (2011) at The New Theatre at 2.15pm. The movie tells the story of a hard working Cypriot immigrant who decides to leave London for his native Cyprus (Best Actor and Audience Award at Cyprus Film Days, Third Award – EU Film Festival Toronto).

Also on Sunday 26 April at 4.15pm festival organisers invite cinema audiences to the screening of ‘The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas’ at The New Theatre, about a famous Greek TV anchorman who fakes his own kidnapping in a desperate bid to salvage his ailing career. The movie, a satire on celebrity and media cynicism in an age of austerity, received the award of Best Work in Progress in Karlovy Vary Festival two years ago.

The Festival will finish with a screening of ‘Xenia’, the latest (2014) movie of Panos H. Koutras, at The New Theatre at 6pm. The movie tells the story of two teenage brothers, who, after the death of their Albanian mother, go in search of their Greek father. The movie shows Greece as a beautiful but hostile country wrecked by the ongoing economic crisis, and a place in which xenophobia, racism and homophobia seem to fester freely (Un Certain Regard Award and Queer Palm nominations at Cannes Film Festival, Best Feature at Chicago International Film Festival, Best Film at Gijón International Film Festival).